Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-06

nothing luhb hh6"f ~. IN. p
elbows on her knees and bent down her
bsod in her hands, and for minute her
rs.srye had deserted her with her self
control. She spoke in quick, inyolun-
II think-almost-I hate him." she
said. .,a 7
She was silent for minute, ana
knolt beside her stupidity dumb. .,
"There was no one else" she ssiu,
ono one else to ask. No one could 90
what he could do"
"You have asked him to help you
to help Verify "
eyes; help him to 60 away. TO an
other country-where-w he Will DE
happier. He will give him money, help
him to 90. He can help him when ne
gets there"
HAS he promised ?" So.
"Promi,ed-yes, said Bridget, drearl-
". "And II have promised, TOO ne
is not generous he was never generous;
II he gives a promise he exacts one
have promised-haIf promlsed-to mar,
nv Eustace. 1t is true. always toid
YOU that was not good"
She raised her head and poised her
chin on her hands, and sat looking be-
fore her at the fire.
ado you know why shall marry
him ?" she asked after moment IN
different voice.
yes" replied.
"You think so. I will tell you. You
do not know. / am tired OF working,
Alice. that is it. | am tired OF living IN
lodyings and having dirty hearth ana
a rug with green roses on 1t. l want
ease and leisure, luxury and comfort, all
those things. | am practical, am. not?
I think 1 shall be happy when have
tiled CRATE and polished tire-lrons. Fur
niture makes so much difference.
think. Just now, was little hysterical
and talked nonsense. | often talk non
sense you needn't remember 1t.
There WAS silence for a minute, while
Bridget looked fixedly before her and
kpelt by her side thinking.
81 did not know that about Verify
about his wife, mean" [ said at last,
musIngly. go. -,
"Did' you wish to know it ?" said
Bridget. E" heard it a long while ago
week ago.
lyon did not tell me-" said.
"Was it an important thing to tell?
II have a headache, Alice. No, don't
fuss about tit is not very bad-a very
ordinary headache. But | will go up
stairs and lie down for little while.
When Bridget came back at teatime
she was matter-of-fact and unemotionh
again, and took pains to remove from
my mind any impression that she was
rad. She was solicitOus that my tea
should be sweetyned rightly, and eI-
planned with precision her views on girls
education and the disadvantages OF q
china teapot. All the next few days
Bridget was even-tempered, quiet, I'M
passive, strikingly sensible. She made
/ it clear to me that she was I'M
distracted, that her mind was al
ways con the spot, ready to
give undivided. cool attention to
geography lessons, the weekly bills, aud
/ the change Of wind to the east or west.
/ But she sat up stairs in her room, alone.
/ longer and oftener than was quite con-
sistent. When one day / went up IN
search OF her she was sitting near her
window sewing fast. She put down her
work suddenly in shapeless mass IN her
lap, and looked at me half-guilty for a
moment Next moment she resented
her own confusion and lifted the little
garment she was making and began to
sew again. 1t was boys little flannel
blouse she was just finishing 1t.
at is so cold mp here" | said.
Bring your work down stairs, Bridget.
She put the last stitches in the blouse
and laid it down. BY the window be-
side her there was a little parcel Of I'M
cut flannel and calico. Her eyes rested
on it.. 49,,
"Heve you other things to make ?"
asked. "Will you let me help about
them Z"
Bridget gazed ont over the house-tops
at the gray, heavy sky, and did not look
at me.
.'Will you help" she said.
81 shall like to" Ireplied.
We carried down the bundle of uncut
stnfr. and Bridget, without talking
much, LAID it out smoothly on the table
and shaped small garments from 1t Int
for q chld Of three. For many days We
spent all our spare time with these little
earme.ts in our hands We talked
grayely about the width of our hens,
the size Of our button-holes, the neces-
sity of strings and buttons being firm
but why we we're working so diligently,
and for whom our work was intended
Bridget never said. Perhaps she knew
that [ understood. But she was glad,
think, that let her be silent.
The things were finished; Bridget
rsthcred them tOgctherand carried then
away from our sitting-ro0m and | saw 10
more OF them. Her spare time huns
heavy on her hands; she brought
down n ragged algebra from the
shelf and worked problems with perse
vertncc that was without enthusiasm
Every day she seemed to grow NOR,
s;illed. more sels-rcpresscd. She re
heated ncr Latin verbs little les:
slowly than usual rs she arose and wen
TO bed. She seemed TO be talking down
her thoughts; ana one night her voice
broke OF sharply in the middle Of {
tense. and the tense remained unfinished
Minutes aftcrward it seemed TO me tina
Bridget was crying in her room.
She was pale when she came dowr
next day. Ter eyes had dark ring
about them. and looked in chill anC
dreary vav Mt tho world, as thougl
nothing humorous or gay could MAKE
her smile again. She went away alon'
to school and returned alone. All tn
afternoon she Eat at the table, with
book before her, and her hand proppinf
her brow as she bent over the page.
think she was listening all the while
she heard every sound in the street, anC
held her breath every now and then t
listen more intently.
The rain beat quietly against the win
dow the gray sky overhead seemed a
low as the house-tops the passers-b.
looked cold and foriorn as they hurre'
past. I was glad when the Afternoon
was over. when could draw the blin'
and shut out the gloomy street | Ii
the gar and made the fire brighter, bu
Bridget went away from the warmth ane
III 800. 1 ...-; II f,or loole 20 tho WI n